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For Windows 7 to outshine the disaster that is Vista, it will have to be both a technical panacea and a marketing success. Microsoft has been splurging on TV ads, haplessly enlisting "regular" people to get you to throw parties in honor of its software, and using for its spokesperson an 8-year-old girl.

Apple can't help the fact that Windows 7 is better than Vista, but I'm betting they'll gin up a diversionary product launch to steal the spotlight. What will it be?

According to Apple's predictable product life cycles, we're in for a barrage this fall. All of Apple's desktops are growing exceedingly long in the tooth, and rumors of Core i7 and Blu-ray equipped iMacs are already on the rise. Accoring to MacRumors' buyer's guide, the Mac Mini, iMac, and Mac Pro have all gone without updates for more than 200 days; the average period before revision is historically about 240 days. We're closing in on update time.

Other opportunities abound. Intel has recently announced low-power, 45nm mobile quad-core i7 processors, which might make it into another high-end Apple device. I won't utter the word "tablet" here, but plenty have.

Of course, Windows 7 will still get a grand reception from beleaguered Vista owners and pent-up demand from businesses. But when it comes to headlines, hardware rules—and Apple may end up with the upper hand come October 22.

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